Under the orange glow of McGraw Tower, this Halloween season is packed with themed festivities and parties, ranging from student get-togethers to employee events.
On and before Halloween, various University clubs and organizations are hosting events to celebrate the holiday and engage the greater Cornell community.
Events on Halloween
On Thursday, the Cornell Recreation Collection — an organization that provides programs, facilities and educational opportunities on campus — is organizing the annual Halloween Happenings event for University staff and faculty. The contest allows faculty and staff to compete for the funniest, scariest and most original costumes on campus. Prizes and treats will be awarded as spectators come to cheer on their colleagues.
“We know these types of events are great ways to bring the staff community together,” said Vail Eubanks, co-chair for CRC. “It helps introduce employees to other staff across campus.”
CRC also invites faculty and staff to participate in an office/door decoration contest, encouraging staff to decorate their office or workspaces, and a pet costume photo share, where participants can send in photos of their costumed pets. The photos will be on display at the Halloween Happenings event and shared in a slideshow.
“Some staff do a theme like M&Ms or really creative things as individuals, like a Black and White TV,” Eubanks said. “Food, candy, and laughs always help people make connections. We just try to provide different and fun ways to help foster those connections.”
Also on Thursday, the Cornell Cinema will air two horror classics — The Shining and The Blair Witch Project on Thursday.
Cornell Dining will host two festive Halloween dinners Thursday, at Okenshields and Risley Dining. Risley will also be hosting a pumpkin carving contest and have Halloween-themed desserts during dinner hours from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Following Halloween celebrations, Zero Waste Ithaca — an organization advocating for a sustainable and zero waste society — is organizing a trash cleanup on Sunday, Nov. 3 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., starting at Collegetown Bagels on 420 College Ave.
Past Halloween Events
The Student Programming Council hosted several events last weekend to get the Cornell Community into the Halloween spirit.
In conjunction with the Guild of Visual Arts and CU Tonight, the Willard Straight Hall Student Union Board hosted Halloween at the Straight. This decades-long tradition offers students various Halloween-related activities, including a haunted house, face painting, arts and crafts and of course, candy.
“Fun events like this that are free for all students prove integral in supporting student life. In the height of prelim season, speaking as someone who just had two this week, having the time and place to unwind definitely offsets the academic rigor of Cornell,” said Steven Markman ’26, the president of SUB. “It’s overall a nice break and fun way to celebrate Halloween for those busy during the week.”
Planning for this event began as early as June. With the main attraction being the haunted house, the student groups needed to work early to reserve the space and confirm the vendor’s ability.
In the haunted house, students acted as scarers who are hidden throughout the experience. Members of the Guild of Visual Arts facilitated face painting in the Williard Straight Browsing Library. CUTonight planned lobby activities which included painting plastic pumpkins, cookie decorating, making caramel apples and enjoying candy.
“I personally love the haunted house. I’ve always helped out as a scarer, which allows me to shape the atmosphere of the haunted house,” Markman said. “Some people are looking for a true scare, so the other scarers and I always see that as a challenge to be creative and spook participants.”
In addition to Halloween at the Straight, the SPC also put on Halloween Drag Bingo with Mhi’ya Iman Le’Paige and Fall Fest. Halloween Drag Bingo took place on Friday, Oct. 25, in the Call Auditorium. Le’Paige, who competed in the 16th season of RuPaul’s Drag Race, served as the host and main performer for the event. Attendees played bingo for themed prizes while enjoying performances from Le’Paige and local drag artists.
Fall Fest on the Arts Quad fostered a festive atmosphere for students and their families to celebrate the season. Attendees enjoyed a variety of complimentary fall-themed food and beverages, including apple cider donuts, hot chocolate and candy. The event featured activities and performances designed to engage participants and enhance the community spirit.
The Big Red Barn also had its annual Pumpkin carving contest on Saturday, Oct. 26 and hosted a Halloween Costume Party on Tuesday, Oct. 29, where students could win prizes for their costumes and mingle with fellow party-goers.
On Oct. 24, Cornell’s Office of Global Learning hosted a Global Halloween Bash. This event encouraged participants to embrace the fall spirit with activities like pumpkin carving and decorating, a Halloween photo booth and festive treats. It provided an opportunity for international students and those who have studied abroad to share stories, discuss Halloween traditions in the U.S. and connect with fellow students.
“I can tell you that nearly all of our international attendees had never carved a pumpkin before, and I was amazed at their creativity. Many went online for inspiration,” said Margaret Gallo, an office administrator for the Office of Global Learning. “I was pleasantly surprised at the number of graduate and professional school students who left their labs to join us.”
This event has been a tradition for three years now. The first year’s turnout of 20 students has more than quadrupled — This year, approximately 90 international undergraduates, graduates and Ph.D. students participated.
“For the international community, it’s a way to help them feel connected to the place where they are away from their home. We want them to feel like a part of this community, a part of this country, and we want to celebrate these traditions together,” said Lauren Gabuzzi, programming coordinator for the Office of Global Learning.
Students can find more information about campus events on CampusGroups and https://events.cornell.edu/.